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@my JW@ JY? 62, 3672. ,Patented f'Zv/Yyz @gleiten gratis gatrnt @Hire VC. P. S. WARDWELL, 0F LAKE VILLAGE, N EW HAMPSHIRE. Letters Patent No. 62,382, dated February 26, 1867.

IMPROVEMENT IN KNITTING-MAGHINE NEEDLES.

'IO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONGERN:

Be it known that I, P. S. WARDWELL, of Lake Village, in the county of Belknap, and State of New Hampshire, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Needles for Knitting Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The nature of my invention consists in flattening the outside of that part of a needle called the barb or beak," so as to more equally distribute thc strain on that part of the needle into the substance of the barb, thus lessening its liability to break by allowing the barb to be pressed inward, or operated a greater number .of times before breaking, and thus increasing its durability correspondingly. Y

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construe` tion and operation..

Figure l is a front view of the needle.

Figure 2 is a side view of the same.

Figure 3 is a cross-section through the .bend of the barb.

Figure 4 is a cross-section of the back Vof the needle, on line E.

Figure 5 will be described hereafter.

Figures 6 and 7 are crossseetions through the bend et' the barb of needles in general use.

A isl the body or shank of a needle, B is tbe eye of the saine, neither of which differ freni those of needles in common use. C is tbc barb or beak, commencing at D, and extending round the bend te the point which is opposite the eye B, and is 1'lat,or nearly so, on its inner surface. The outsideoi` the barb is Hatteued, beginning at ornear D on the back side, and gradually increasing in width till near the beginning ofthe bend ofthe barb, where it extends nearly or quite as wide as thefbarb, and thus continues round to the point, though it may begin at or near point C to disappear', and terminate at or near the place where the presser operates on the barb, to press it inward `when in use. The precise point of beginning or terminating the attening is not material providing it isat its fulness at the place where needles break, in or near the bend of' the barb, and should be in erosssection at the point where they generally break, like tig. 3. The edges may or may notbe flattened, beginning and terminating at or near the same points of the outside ilattening.v The process of polishing rounds the corners suileiently to avoid all danger of cutting the thread or yarn. The inside of the barb may be rounded, like section, iig. 5, with the outside flat, but the nearer they approximate to the shape shown by iig. 3, or a rectangle, in or near the bend, or where there is the greatest tendency to break, tbe better they are. Figs. 6 and 7 are sect-ions through the bends of the barbs of needles in general use.

The operation of a needle is as fellows: The yarn is carried inside of the barb, forming a loop; this loop is then pressed or slipped down on to the shank of the needle below the point ot' the barb, so as to allow the barb to receive the yarn again for another loop. rlhe barb is new pressed inward till the point shall rest in the eye B, which will allenr the loop on the shank to be carried over the barb and oit the needle, thus forming-a stitch; after which the barbsprings outward, to allow the loop inside the barb to be slipped down over the eye B on Vt-o the shank, also to receive the yarn for the next loop, Sie. Consequently the barb is successively pressed inward and springs out again for every stitch formed. The strain upon a needle is on the outside of the barb while being pressed inward, and, except in ease of accident, the fracture always begins on the outside. A needle only breaks after a number of vibrations of the barb, (er pressing it in,) which, after a time, destroys its elasticity, and causes it to break; hence a needle is dura-ble in proportion to the number of vibrations, (or times the barb will allow to be pressed inwarth) without breaking. As needles are nr w made, the barb being semicireular on the outside, (figs. 6 and 7,) the thickness varying throughout its width, there is a great inequality of strain upon its outside while being pressed inward, and consequent liability to break; whereas, the outside of my improved needle being i1at,.the thickness of the barb is equal across the bend, thus equalizing the stra-in enit, rendering it capable of standing a greater number of' vibrations, (or bending iiwarib) before breaking, and hence proportionately durable. e

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, ir-

A needle for knitting machines, flattened on the outside of its barb, substantially as and for the purpose herein specified.

C. P. S. WARDWELL.

Witnesses:

Jeun Amazon, MARION L. WARnwrLL. 

